YuGiOh! Delta: The Day of Three Suns
by Rebster6
Summary: In this story, we dive head first into the dimensional shenanigans, which will play a big part in the overall plot. Also included are allusions to the grande finale. Enjoy.
1. Chapter 1

The Day of Three Suns dawned.

Leah's bedside alarm was a loud, obnoxious thing – it was designed like an old fashioned alarm clock, and sounded like one too. It was impossible to ignore, which was good, because she had the unfortunate habit of ignoring her alarms in favour of her pillow. Nevertheless, the incessant ringing of this one eventually dragged her out of her dozing. She reached over and wacked it a few times, eventually hitting the button which turn it off.

After pushing herself into a vaguely upright position, her first thought was of the sky. Still bleary-eyed, she walked over to her bedroom window and drew back the curtains. Squinting against the sunlight, she examined the sky.

One sun. She didn't really know what else she was expecting.

Still yawning, she threw on a dressing gown and made her way out of her bedroom. The moment her door was open, she let out another big yawn… and immediately inhaled a lungful of smoke. Coughing and gasping, she experienced a moment of panic and quickly shot her gaze around the apartment, before she realised what must have caused it.

"And good morning to you too," James called, smirking at her from one of the sofas. He had a dishcloth wrapped around his mouth and nose to shield himself from the smoke, and was tapping away on his computer as normal. Matt sat opposite him, his shirt pulled right up over his nose.

"You'd think I'd be used to this by now," she choked, making her way over to the kitchen area where, predictably, Dan was cooking breakfast. He and Katie both had scarfs wrapped around their faces, and were currently fighting over a frying pan that was quite spectacularly on fire, filling the entire room with a smokey haze.

"It's fine, I tell you!" Dan insisted, trying to put the pan back on the cooker. "I'm just giving it the crispy treatment! A crispy omelette – don't tell me that doesn't sound amazing."

"Dan, for goodness sake, look at it!" Katie said, pointing at the blackened mess in the bottom of the pan, still wreathed in flames. "That's not crispy, that's obsidian!"

"Rubbish!" he grinned. "It's just entering the final stage of crispiness."

Katie sighed and let go of the pan. As Dan turned back to his masterpiece triumphantly, she discreetly reached down and turned off the cooker to prevent the fire from getting any worse, then went over to greet Leah. "Morning sunshine. What can I get you?"

"A tea towel would be lovely," Leah replied, before bursting into another fit of coughing. Katie reached over and threw her one, which she quickly knotted around her head.

"So..." Katie muttered. "How're you feeling?"

Leah adjusted her new fashion accessory carefully, then gave a thumbs up. "Better, thanks."

"Matt told us everything," Katie whispered. "Well, he told me and James everything; Dan came in later. Matt was pretty upset about the whole thing, but he says that you were even worse. Are you sure you're ok?"

"Yeah. Really, I'm fine," Leah assured her. "I'm more worried about Matt to be honest. How is he?"

"Pretty subdued," Katie admitted. "I asked James to try and liven him up, but... well, you know James. When it comes to cheering people up, he's like a ninja with bagpipes."

"A ninja with bagpipes?" Leah asked.

"Utterly useless!" she replied, looking over at him. "And pretty likely to get wacked over the head if he doesn't try to be more subtle."

Leah laughed. "I guess. So what's for breakfast?"

Katie grimaced, and glanced over her shoulder at Dan, who was now holding the flaming frying pan under the ice dispenser, which was pouring crushed ice onto the ultra-crispy omelette. "Well, I can tell you what we're definitely _not_ having for breakfast... by the way, how did Dan react when you told him about that thing with Matt?"

Leah gasped: she had completely forgotten to tell him. How could she forget to tell her best friend? Guiltily, she stepped into the kitchen area and tapped Dan on the shoulder. "Busy right now," he said, using his favourite spatula to mix the rapidly melting ice with the rapidly cooling omelette.

"Dan, I need to tell you something," she said. "It's about Matt..."

"Yeah, I heard about that," he replied, ditching the spatula in favour of a spork. "Both of you were pretty upset about it, but for what it's worth, I think you did the right thing. Delaying any longer would've been cruel, and giving him false hope would've been even crueller."

"Hang on, hang on, what?" Leah said, perplexed. "You already know? How do you already know? Katie said you came in after Matt had finished explaining, and I didn't tell you-"

"Yes you did," he said, finally turning to face her, a big grin on his face. "I was in the room when it happened."

She stared at him for a few moments. "You were in the room when me and Matt were talking last night?"

"Well, you said you wanted me to stay by your side," Dan grinned, "and that's exactly what I did."

"But... I... where were you? I never saw you."

"I doubt it, I was behind the sofa," he explained. "Got cramp like you wouldn't believe... and next time could you two speak up a little? It's hard to hear all that whispering."

Leah burst out laughing. "You were spying on us?"

"Just a little," Dan conceded, completely unabashed.

"Spying on a young girl," she grinned. "You know I could get you arrested for that,".

Dan laughed and spread his arms wide. "Why don't you write a letter to the United Nations?" With that, he returned to his crispy masterpiece. Still giggling a little, Leah started to help Katie, as she endeavoured to make breakfast without Dan noticing and trying to 'help'.

As Leah began breaking some more eggs, she noticed Katie glance at the window, and smiled at her. "Don't worry, I already checked. Just the one sun."

"I know, I checked earlier," Katie said, still staring out the window. "But those words, the Day of Three Suns... I can't get them out of my head." She turned back to Leah. "What if-"

But she didn't finish. At that moment, there was a knock at the door. As one, the five Deltas turned to watch as a man opened the door. It was one of Professor Usur's employees, a balding man with stubble, dressed in a simple grey suit. The unfortunate man took a single step inside the apartment, then recoiled as the wall of smoke hit him, pouring out into the hallway.

"Sorry... sorry about that," Katie called. "Are you ok?"

Still coughing and spluttering, the man stood up and called from just outside the doorway. "Yeah... I'm fine thanks. I'm just here to tell you that when you've finished breakfast, Professor Usur wants to speak with you."

"Yeah, we got his message last night," James shouted. "It'll be a bit longer until we've finished breakfast though."

"Well don't dawdle," the man said nervously. "The Professor hates unpunctuality. When you're finished, he wants you to meet him on the roof of this building. That's all. Enjoy your breakfast."

"Wait, what do you mean 'on the roof'?" Katie called, but the man had already left, clearly keen to get back to work. Katie looked at Leah bewilderedly. "On the roof?" she asked.

"It must be to do with the three suns thing," Matt said, startling both girls. He'd gotten up from his position on the sofa, and was now standing by the countertop. "According to what the Professor said, there's going to be three suns in the sky today. And where's the best place to see the sun at any time of day?"

"Somewhere high and out in the open," Katie replied. "Somewhere out of the way of other buildings. Somewhere like…" She gasped as the realisation hit her. "Somewhere like the roof."

"Exactly," Matt replied. "Whatever the Professor is planning, it's going to happen on the rooftop. And frankly, I don't want to wait any longer, so we should get going now."

"Now?" Leah asked.

"Now," Matt repeated.

"C'mon man, we haven't even had breakfast yet!" James called from the table.

Matt frowned at him. "You heard what that man said: Professor Usur is expecting us any minute now. We don't have time for breakfast. Just grab a sandwich out the fridge or something."

James sighed in frustration, snapped his laptop shut, and made his way over to the fridge. Leah pried Dan's hands away from his frying pan. "Dan, just trust me... it's a lost cause. Let it die a peaceful death."

Dan gave a mock sigh of sadness, and stroked the blackened mess with his little finger. "I hardly knew the poor thing... it was so young..."

She laughed and pulled him away. "Don't worry, you can write a letter to its family once we're done."

*SOME TIME LATER*

The five Deltas, each with a backpack of equipment they felt they might need – including their dueling gear – made their way up a set of steps, through a doorway that had been propped open, and out into the sunlight in single file. There was a large amount of machinery scattered around the roof, but none of them even glanced at it. They only had eyes for the spectacular view. None of them had ever stood on the roof before, and it was quite a sight to behold.

The entire city was stretched out before them like an impossibly huge carpet. They could see each individual street, each building, each park... everything. Some of the skyscrapers stretched high above the other buildings, some of them even as tall as the one they were on. It was like staring at a 3D map, on a colossal scale. They could see across the whole city, all the way down to the coastline, to the ocean. The sea picked up where the city left off, stretching the rest of the way to the horizon. The sun was almost directly over the city, which made the sea sparkle and flicker.

"Beautiful, isn't it?" The five kids got a fright as Professor Usur's voice rang out from behind them. He walked over and stood beside the group, staring out over the city. "Such a majestic view of such a majestic place. Tamashi City... I feel privileged to be able to see such a glorious view."

The kids stayed silent for an appropriate amount of time, allowing the Professor to revel a little longer. Then Matt cleared his throat. "Um... you wanted to see us, Professor?"

"Ah yes, of course!" Usur replied. He glanced quickly at his wristwatch, then over at the machinery, then back at the Deltas. "We have a little time to spare, so before we begin, I'd like to take a little time to explain a few things. So please, gather around."

The five kids huddled in close to the Professor, who was having to speak louder than usual to make himself heard over the wind.

Usur checked his wristwatch again and paused for a moment, then started speaking. "So, my children... what do you know about alternate dimensions?"

* * *

**Fun Fact #1: More of Dan's cooking. Don't you just love Dan's cooking?  
**

**Fun Fact #2: The phrase "Why don't you write a letter to the United Nations?" is a reference to the Cherub series by Robert Muchamore. It's good, I tell you.  
**

**Fun Fact #3: Tamashī is Japanese for 'soul'. We named it this as a clever little piece of juxtaposition, because the canon parallel to this city is Heartland City. Heart and Soul, the physical and spiritual pair. You could also see this as a subtle reference to the Pokemon series (HeartGold and SoulSilver).**


	2. Chapter 2

Dan and Leah glanced knowingly at each other, but it was James who answered. "Why are you asking us what we know, sir? We don't know anything about alternate dimensions. And there's a very good reason for that – it's because they don't exist. They can't exist."

There was a brief pause, then the Professor addressed Matt. "Young Matthew, has your teammate James ever seen the Numbers?"

Matt nodded. "Yes, he has."

Then the Professor turned to Katie. "And young lady, has anyone ever explained to your boyfriend the powers these Numbers possess?"

She risked a grin as she realised the Professor was being sarcastic. "I think we might've mentioned it to him, sir..."

"Alright, alright, I've heard all this already," James grunted.

Professor Usur nodded. "Then you realise that in this day and age, nothing can be ruled as "out of the ordinary" anymore. And I can assure you, with absolute certainty, that alternate dimensions are real."

The entire group stirred excitedly – the words they'd heard the Professor speak last night, they were all starting to ring true. "Would you mind explaining what you mean, sir?" Matt asked.

The Professor smiled. "It would be my pleasure, young man." He took a deep breath, then continued. "There is very little in the way of physical evidence surrounding the theory of alternate dimensions, but there are legends. Some of you may be familiar with one of the legendary duelists from the days of old – Jaden Yuki. He is a hero who once saved all dimensions from a great threat – a monstrous being who sought to fuse the twelve dimensions into one, which would've caused untold destruction." He paused briefly and looked around at the kids. "Is everyone following so far?"

"I'm following, sir," James said. "But frankly, I don't see the relevance of an old legend like that."

"Patience, James," the Professor replied. "Now, considering the limited technology available to us, I cannot place any credence in the theory of twelve dimensions. However..." His face gained a wide grin. "...what I can tell you is this. I have found an alternate dimension! In fact, I have found two of them!"

"You have?" Leah gasped. "But how?"

"With a great deal of difficulty," the Professor said. "Think about it. Two alternate dimensions! It defies belief, doesn't it?"

"Sir, what can you tell us of these alternate dimensions?" Matt asked, completely enthralled. "What do you know about them?"

The Professor glanced at his wristwatch again, then began to explain. "Alright, I will tell you. But first I have to give you a little background and some foundation knowledge. For now, I would like all of you to forget about the theory of twelve dimensions, and focus instead on the three we know of. Three dimensions. They are called the Astral World, the Barian World, and the Kasen World."

There was slight pause as Professor Usur allowed the Deltas to mull over these three names. "Astral, Barian, Kasen..." Dan muttered. "Why are the dimensions named this way?"

"They are lucky to have names at all," Usur replied. "Think about it. We live in the universe. Scientists firmly believe that the universe is everything – that nothing exists outside it. So why would they bother naming it? To name it would be to give it distinction, which would be meaningless because there's nothing for it to be distinct from. It doesn't need identity. It is everything. Are you following me so far?"

Tentatively, the kids nodded. Then Leah spoke. "But then how did the universes get their names? Who named them? And which of those three universes is ours? Which one do we live in?"

"Excellent question," the Professor said. "Our universe is called the Barian World. That's where we live."

"The Barian World..." Katie muttered. "Does that mean we have to start calling ourselves Barians?"

The Professor laughed loudly. "You can if you want to, but it isn't really necessary." He checked his wristwatch again before continuing. "Anyway, as for how they are named... the universes named each other. We named the Kasen World, and the Kasen World named us. They called us the Barian World, and we decided that it was as good a name as any. So it stuck."

"And the Astral World?" Dan asked. "Who named that?"

"The people of the Kasen World named it before we knew of its existence, so we simply adopted the name they used," Usur explained. "I don't actually think the Astral World is aware of either the Barian World or the Kasen World's existence."

"Sir, quick question," James said. "The way you're talking, it sounds a lot like you're already familiar with the Kasen World."

"That I am," the Professor replied. "Just a few months ago, I was able to make contact with a man from the Kasen World: a man who goes by the name of Doctor Faker. He speaks for the Kasen World, just as I speak for the Barian World."

The kids had to try very hard not to give the game away right there, as they recognised yet another piece of the puzzle from the Professor's call last night.

"And who's Doctor Faker?" Matt asked.

"A man with almost as much ambition as me," Usur replied. With that, the Professor checked his wristwatch one last time, and smiled widely. "But hush now. The time for talk is over. Brace yourselves... it begins."

The five kids and their boss stood their silently, waiting for something to happen.

Waiting...

Then there was a flash of light. It only lasted for a fraction of a second, but it was so bright that all five kids were temporarily blinded. But that was it. Just a split second, and it was over. The five kids tentatively opened their eyes to find that they were completely fine.

"What on earth was that?" James gasped. "What just happened?"

"I could explain, young man," the Professor said, looking at the sky. "But you probably wouldn't believe me. Besides, I think the sky can explain things far better than I can."

"The sky can explain...?" James repeated. He craned his head back to look at the sky, and the other Deltas followed suit. And what they saw... what they saw chilled them to the bone.

There were three suns in the sky.

All five Deltas gasped in shock. Two of them actually rubbed their eyes and looked again to make sure they weren't imagining it. But it was the real thing. Three suns – one red, one blue, and one yellow – all suspended in a colossal triangle above them.

It was then that they noticed a change in the air around them as well. It was hard to describe... it was sort of like snow. Except the snowflakes were actually tiny particles of glowing light. Red, blue, and yellow, all swirling around them. And it wasn't falling like snow either. Instead, it was rising, floating upwards into the sky. It wasn't like they were defying gravity; it didn't look like that at all. It looked as if they had just... forgotten that gravity applied to them. The way they were floating up into the clouds carried an incredible embodiment of carefreeness. They were extraordinary.

Struggling to stay calm for the benefit of his teammates, Matt turned to the Professor. "W- what's happening? What is this?"

The Professor spread his arms wide, a look of pure joy on his face. "This, my children, is the Day of Three Suns. On this day, energy waves from the Kasen World, Astral World, and Barian World have collided, and created some very interesting effects. One of which you can plainly see." He indicated the sky. "The three suns you can see up there are the suns from each of the separate worlds. Because of this energy collision, the barrier between our worlds has become so thin that light is able to pass through... which is why all three suns have become visible to all three worlds."

"Is that all that's happened?" Leah asked, still struggling to take it all in.

"Not quite," Usur replied. He pointed towards the edge of the building. "Take a look."

With apprehension, the five kids walked over to the very edge of the skyscraper and looked down into the street. At first they could see nothing out of the ordinary. People, cars, shops... everything was as it should be. Except...

"Guys, look!" Katie gasped, pointing. Everyone was startled by her sudden exclamation, and followed her pointing finger to the street below.

"What? What is it?" James asked. "There's nothing wrong with-" His eyes widened as he saw what was wrong. "Oh..." One by one, each of the Deltas began to notice the problem, but even once they had, they couldn't understand it. It just didn't make sense.

The world had stopped.

Absolutely nothing was moving. All of the people, the birds, the vehicles; everything was frozen in place. Some cars had just been pulling away from the traffic lights, and they had simply stopped, halfway out of the junction. Likewise, further up the street, a group of people were crossing the road at a zebra crossing, and they were frozen as well. They had simply stopped, right in the middle of the road, frozen in mid-stride. Everyone in the streets – everyone and everything – had just stopped.

"Look..." Leah said. Her voice was weak - she was feeling really overwhelmed. Everyone else looked where she was pointing, and saw the ocean. And that was the most terrifying thing of all.

The ocean had stopped too. The water was perfectly still. It wasn't smooth like a lake: rather, the water had just paused exactly where it was. Every ripple and wave was still visible on its surface, sitting perfectly still in the positions they had been in. The effect continued all the way to the horizon. Everything – absolutely everything – was frozen.

The five kids turned to look at each other. And at that moment, each of them had the exact same expression on their face – fear and helplessness. They were completely out of their depth, and felt insignificant in the face of this phenomenon.

Professor Usur must have seen it, for he stepped forward and spoke kindly to them. "You need not be afraid, my children. You will come to no harm, and this will all pass in time."

Matt was the first one to regain some self-control, and he immediately asked a question. "Sir... what's happened to the city?"

"A simple side effect of the energy collision," the Professor explained. "Time has temporarily frozen within all three of the worlds while the barrier between dimensions repairs itself. Don't worry; the effect will last no longer than an hour."

"But sir," Katie said. "If time is frozen, then why aren't we? How can we still be moving?"

"I'm unsure of the mechanics," the Professor said uncertainly. "But I believe that it has something to do with the Numbers." Without thinking, the Deltas all subconsciously checked their bands, making sure they were still on. "You are all Number holders, and none of you are frozen. I'd say that's pretty strong evidence." He walked over to his machinery and began tapping away on a computer.

"But what about you sir?" Dan asked. "You're not a Number holder... how come you're not affected by the time freeze?"

The Professor looked up from his computer and gave Dan a long, steady stare, as if trying to think of an answer, or deciding if the question was worth answering. Finally, he shrugged and returned to his computer. "I suppose I was just lucky."

For a few moments after that, the Deltas were left much to their own devices. They sat in a circle on the rooftop, saying nothing, and being very careful not to look at the sky, or out at the sea. It was a bit much to take in all at once. Nevertheless, they were acutely aware that they were surrounded on all sides by a totally silent world. And that made them feel very small.

"How're you feeling?" Katie asked James, who just grunted. "You were the most dubious last night... how're you coping now?"

"I'm fine," he snapped. Then he buried his face in his hands. Katie put an arm round him and pulled him close for comfort. It was for her own comfort as much as his – she was feeling just as bad as him.

Matt, Leah, and Dan all stayed silent, trying to take it all in, trying to process all the information they'd been bombarded with. Everything about Usur's conversation with Faker was coming true. Everything. The three suns had appeared, time had frozen, and the barrier between worlds was at its weakest.

But where did that leave them...?

* * *

**Fun Fact #4: Take your physics somewhere else!**

**Fun Fact #5: Yes, Kasen World is the name we've given to the world of the Yu-Gi-Oh! ZEXAL canon. The Kasen World contains Heartland City, where Yuma, Shark, Kaito, and all those other people live.**

**Fun Fact #6: We named it the Kasen World because Kasen is the Japanese word for 'river'. To most of you that won't mean a thing, so we'll explain. ****Both the Astral World and the Barian World have been dipicted as galaxies, so we simply worked from there.** The Japanese word for Galaxy is Ginga (銀河, _literally meaning 'silver river'_) and the Japanese name for the Milky Way is Amanogawa (天の川,_ literally meaning 'river of heaven'_). Plenty of river references, so we decided that that name was as good as any. You can also look at it as yet another pun on Pokemon SoulSilver. We do love our puns.

**Fun Fact #7: Yes, this story is actually set in the Barian World. The Deltas, Skyler, Lithon, Usur... all of us live in the Barian World. I bet you thought we were finished with the plot twists.**


	3. Chapter 3

Five minutes later, and the kids were finally starting to get to grips with things. As the Professor worked, they were talking amongst themselves, marvelling at the situation they'd found themselves in, speculating about the implications, and laughing as James suggested some of the shenanigans that they could get up to in the frozen time. One particular idea had them all cracking up, because James clearly hadn't thought it through all the way.

"I'm telling you guys, it could work!" James insisted, which only served to make the others laugh even harder.

"So let me get this straight," Matt said slowly. "Time and space have frozen around us, leaving us as the only mobile humans left on this planet, and you want to steal a car?"

"Think about it," James said. "We could walk into any car dealership in the world, get into a car, and drive away. And no-one would stop us. It's the perfect plan."

Another round of laughs from the others followed, then Matt started talking again. "Ok, let's leave aside the fact that that's stealing, and stealing is wrong-"

"Actually," Dan interrupted, grinning. "Let's not leave that aside. What the actual hell, James?" James looked at the floor sheepishly.

Matt laughed with the others. "Well, for the moment, let's ignore the fact that stealing is wrong, and instead, let's focus on how you'd go about doing this. So your plan is to simply walk up to a car and drive it away?"

"Yep."

"A car?"

"Yep."

"A car from this world?"

"Yep."

"The same world where time has stopped?"

"That's right."

"Genius," Matt said. "So how're you going to start the engine?"

"Well I'd just turn the key and..." James trailed off as he saw the gaping hole in his master plan.

"And then nothing, because an engine that's frozen in time is unlikely to start." Matt finished. "As I said: genius."

Katie gave her boyfriend a soft thwack over the head. "You're such an idiot sometimes, James," she laughed.

James was quite embarrassed by now, and was about to try and amend his plan when the Professor's voice echoed across the roof. "Would you all gather over here please? It's time for the experiments to begin."

With a deep-seated sense of apprehension, the five kids stood up and stretched to get their limbs working again. After that, they all trotted over to where Professor Usur was working and stood in a semi-circle around him, so they could all see the machinery he was working on.

"I see that you're all starting to feel more comfortable with these events," Usur said, still tapping away on his computer. "That's good, because I have a job for you, and I need you to be completely ready for it."

"What job sir," Katie asked nervously.

The Professor stopped working and looked at them with a strange twinkle in his eyes. "I'm going to send you all into another dimension."

There was a brief pause. "Um, sir..." James stammered. "I'm just checking, but... you are joking, aren't you?"

"Certainly not," the Professor replied, returning to his keyboard. "Now, I'm just putting the finishing touches on the transfer machine. The energy waves were slightly stronger than I thought, so I've had to recalibrate the entire system, but now it's more or less..." He hit one more key on the computer. "...done!"

A rumbling sound echoed just below their feet, and a section of the roof opened up. Out of the hole rose a metal platform, with nine iron pylons set around the edge in a circle. The five kids watched it rise up with utter bewilderment.

"Well well," James said smugly. "If that thing can still move, what's to say a car engine won't start, right?"

Matt stared at the contraption for a few more seconds, then turned back to the Professor. "Sir, how did you do that? How was that thing even able to move if time has been frozen?"

"Good questions, Matthew," the Professor replied. "But good questions for another time. Right now, I have to explain your mission."

"Our mission?" Leah repeated. "You're sending us to another dimension _and_ giving us a mission?"

"Indeed I am," the Professor replied. "Where's the fun in an interdimensional transfer if you have nothing to do once you're there? Now then, the machine you see behind you is a cross-dimensional gateway. My scientists and I have been working on it for quite some time, preparing it for this day. This is the first prototype, and you will be the first people to ever use it. It will-"

"Out of curiosity, sir," Dan interrupted. "Which dimension are you sending us to? The Astral World? Or the Kasen World?"

"The Kasen world, obviously," the Professor replied quickly. "I would never be so cruel as to send you to the Astral World."

"Why not?" Matt asked suspiciously. "What's in the Astral World? Is it a dangerous place?"

"More than dangerous..." Usur said. "The Astral World is an evil place. The beings there are demons, intent only on destroying everything good and peaceful." He stopped for a moment and looked at the sky. At the blue sun. "Unfortunately, the beings from the Astral World are also immensely powerful, and extremely malevolent. The walls of the dimensions are starting to break down – if they break down enough to allow the creatures from the Astral World to enter our world, it would mean death and destruction on a global scale. That's why we have to unite with the other worlds. An alliance with the Kasen World is our only chance of survival."

"Is that why you're sending us?" Leah asked. "You want us to be envoys for the Barian World? To broker an alliance with the Kasen World?"

"No no, not at all," the Professor said. "Such a task is too important. I will handle things like that personally. Your task is twofold. Firstly, research. There are several readings I want to take while you're in the Kasen World – readings that will make it much easier to refine the gateway, so we can cross over more frequently. Secondly, delivery." Professor Usur indicated a sealed metal box sitting beside the console. "That is a peace offering from our world to the Kasen World."

"What's in it?" James asked, tapping the box with a finger. The box produced a hollow clang.

"Enriched uranium," the Professor replied. James stepped back from the box sharply.

"Enriched uranium? What's that?" Matt asked.

"Power," Katie replied. "Incredible power. It's the fuel used in nuclear power stations."

"Very good, young lady," Usur smiled. "They have uranium in the Kasen World as well, but the uranium from our world is far superior to theirs. In fact, they don't even recognise it as uranium. They're quite actually the superstitious bunch... they assumed it was some sort of magical fuel exclusive to our world, and they named it the Baria Light."

"How did they not recognise it as uranium?" Matt asked.

"It glows red," Usur replied. "Naturally-occurring things that glow red are quite uncommon in the Kasen World." He then clapped his hands together, startling them all. "Anyway, enough talk. That is your mission. I want you to perform some research for me, and to deliver that box to its intended destination. Here, put these on." He handed each of them a customized D-Gazer. "This will allow you to stay in contact with me, so long as you don't stray too far from the portal."

"How far is too far?" Leah asked, adjusting the D-Gazer to fit over her ear.

"You can move approximately four miles from the gateway before the transmission cuts out. Now please, no more questions. We only have a limited time."

"I thought we had an infinite amount of time," James grinned.

The Professor glared at him, making it abundantly clear that he wasn't in the mood for games. "All of you, go and stand on that metal platform. Quickly." They kids obeyed him, huddling together within the circle of pylons. "Powering up now..." An electric humming sound filled the air. Each of the pylons began to crackle with red electricity, which spread around and connected with the pylon next to it, until the platform was encased in a ring of red electricity. "Ready kids?" Usur called.

"No!" the Deltas called back.

"Excellent," the Professor cried, pulling a lever down. "And we're off!"

The platform beneath them began to quiver and shake, as if in an earthquake. The five kids took hold of each other to stay upright as the ring of electricity grew brighter. The humming sound was joined by a crackling sound as the power was increased.

"Reaching critical power! The breach is about to open!" Professor Usur shouted over the noise. "Cover your ears!"

That was the last thing they heard before the portal opened.

There was a colossal bang, an explosive noise like no other – the sound of a world being ripped open. The kids cried out in pain and covered their ears, desperately trying to shield them from the sound of dimensions being torn open. The electricity lanced inwards from the pylons, wreathing the five of them in crackling red energy. There was another explosion, this time accompanied by a bright flash that blinded them all. The platform lurched beneath them.

Blinded, deafened, disorientated, and scared, Team Delta was carried all the way through the breach, through the barrier between worlds, and into... darkness.

*A LONG WAY AWAY*

Matt awoke from a dream that he immediately forgot.

He was lying face-down, with cold metal pressed against his cheek. Wearily, he pushed himself upright and opened his eyes. The first thing he noticed was the other four Deltas, all in the early stages of regaining consciousness, some of them starting to stand up and stretch off, massaging their aching limbs, but staying oddly quiet.

Unable to take it, Matt broke the silence. "Where are we?" he asked no-one in particular.

It was Dan who answered. "Look around and see for yourself."

Matt did as Dan said and looked around. The first things he saw were the pylons, and the metal sheeting beneath them. So wherever they were, the platform they had been standing on had come with them. The next thing he saw was concrete, stretching in all directions up to small stone walls. That was odd. They were still on top of the tower. They hadn't moved. What was going on? Had the transfer failed?

No... not quite. As Matt vision became more acute, he noticed that Professor Usur had disappeared, as well as any signs of the other equipment he'd set out on the rooftop. How bizarre.

Leah seemed to have been watching him, because now she spoke. "Now look further. Look at the other things that shouldn't be here."

Matt looked around, but couldn't see anything. Irritated, he rubbed his eyes and tried again. Yes... yes, there it was. The little particles of energy that had been present in their world were here too. They looked exactly the same, all rising serenely up into the sky. Following them, Matt craned his head and looked up.

Three suns. One red, one blue, one yellow.

"There's still three suns up there," he said out loud. James was the only one who hadn't noticed that yet, and now he looked up, bemused and confuzzled. "But that means..." Matt immediately leapt to his feet, and promptly fell over again. Leah, Dan and Katie rushed over to him in concern.

"Matt, are you ok?" Katie asked.

"Yeah, fine..." he muttered, massaging his head. "Just a little wobbly."

"Hey Matt, just a bit of advice," Dan said, pointing at Matt's legs. "These things here, these remarkable limbs. They're called legs. They help you stand. Next time you want to stand up, try using them."

Leah laughed, but Matt was in too much of a hurry to see the funny side. Shakily, he got to his feet, and leaned on Katie as she escorted him over to the edge of the building. From there, he looked out over the entire city.

He was right. Time was still frozen. All the traffic and all the people were still frozen in place, as was the sea all the way in the distance.

Then, as they carried on looking, the four of them began to notice things. Strange things.

The first thing they saw - the most obvious thing – was huge tower in the distance, standing high above every other building in the city, even the one they were standing on. It was a ridiculous, convoluted tower, with twists and bends in its architecture that looked very strange. On top of the spire was a colossal pink heart, the size of a house.

But it wasn't just that one building. As the kids looked closer, they saw that several buildings weren't as they were supposed to be. From their elevated apartment window, they'd grown quite familiar with the layout of the city, so they could spot the differences easily. A missing building here, a new twist in the road there, much less in the way of parks and fields. And a track - yet another thing they'd never seen in their world, there was a monorail track looping throughout the whole city.

And for the second time that day, the Deltas began to feel small and insignificant. They'd left behind everything they'd ever known in their old world, and entered a new world where they knew nothing. They weren't special, they weren't important, they weren't safe.

They were lost.

They were just teenagers, lost in a big strange world, belonging nowhere.

* * *

**Fun Fact #8: Welcome to the Kasen World: the world of the ZEXAL canon. Please wipe your feet.**

**Fun Fact #9: *Sigh*... ok, ladies and gentlemen, I'd like to introduce AuroraSol. Ever since the last chapter of The Happy Revolution, she's been leaving reviews on our stories about how amazing Leah is, how she is totally the best character, etc. Well, to put it simply, she is Leah. AuroraSol is Leah's personal account. So head on over to her page, say hello, check out her own work (when she actually starts writing some), and tell her to stop graffiti-ing our review page!**

**Fun Fact #10: A number of scenes in this chapter were inspired by scenes from The Subtle Knife by Philip Pullman (don't sue us, etc). It's an excellent book from an excellent series, and it really brings to light exactly what an alien really is. An alien isn't necessarily a slimy creature with five tentacles and six eyes that never comes in peace. An alien can be a young girl, lost and scared in a world that bears similarities to her real world, but certain things are very different. She doesn't understand the culture, she doesn't have anyone to relate to, and she doesn't have anywhere to call home. Pullman can explain it much better than we can. Astral from the ZEXAL canon was supposed to play a similar role to this, but unfortunately Astral's character development was poorly handled, and the whole 'alien' thing was mostly dropped after a few episodes.  
**


	4. Chapter 4

"Testing, testing, 1-2-3, can you all hear me?" The five kids were startled by the voice crackling through their D-Gazers.

Turning away from the disturbing landscape, Matt put a hand to his ear. "Sir, is that you?"

"Yes, my boy, it's me," Professor Usur replied. "Can the rest of you hear me clearly?" There was a round of yesses from the others. "Excellent. Now then, before you start with the delivery, I need to take some readings. In the meantime, I would like you to describe to me exactly what you see around you. What is that world like?"

And so began a lengthy explanation of the landscape in front of them. Matt did most of the talking, with one of the other four occasionally butting in with a detail he'd overlooked. Occasionally, Usur would interrupt and ask a question, but for the most part he stayed silent and allowed Matt to finish his explanation.

"Hmm... very interesting..." he said once Matt had finished. "Judging by the description, it seems you are in a place called Heartland City. I was told it was very similar to Tamashi City from our world, but I had no idea it was this similar."

"And yet completely different," Katie muttered.

"Indeed," the Professor replied. "Now, I've finished taking the current set of readings, so the serious tests can begin."

"What tests, sir?" Matt asked.

"I want you to duel."

There was a moment of silence. Then, James spoke up again. "Why?"

"Because dueling is strange," came the reply. "Dueling breaks the rules of logic every day... just looking at the Numbers will tell you that."

"He's got a point," Leah piped up. "I mean, think about it. How many strange phenomenon in the past that occurred have always had something to do with Duel Monsters? The Jaden Yuki incident? The Meklord Emperor Genocide? The Aurorian Schism? Even the K-Pg extinction event? All of them-"

"Ooh, look at you getting all sciency," Dan laughed.

"Shut up," she grinned. "My point is: all of those events have had something to do with dueling."

"Good point," Matt muttered. "It looks like mankind got a bit more than it bargained for when Duel Monsters was created."

"Agreed," the Professor said. "But we can continue this fascinating history lesson at a later date. You don't have unlimited time in that world, and I still have readings I want to take. So please, Matthew, select two members of your team and get them dueling." His voice fell silent again.

Matt sighed. "Alright, to make sure it's fair, we'll do it this way." He fished around in his pocket, pulled out his Extra Deck, and began sifting through it while he spoke. "I'm going to hold out five cards, and you'll each take one at random. Two will have the same name; the other three will be different." Sure enough, he held up five cards: two copies of Evilswarm Thanatos, one **Treason Blader**, one Dark Blade the Dragon Knight, and one Sword Breaker.

"And let me guess," James said, "the two people who pull Evilswarm Thanatos will be dueling?" Matt nodded, and James started to look nervous. "Oh lord, I hope it isn't me."

Matt laughed. "Alright then, you can pick first." He turned the cards face-down and shuffled them, before holding them out to James.

With a look of dread, James reached out and tentatively plucked one of the cards out of the pile, as if afraid it might sting him. But as he turned it over, his face lit up. "Yes! I'm safe!" He showed them the card to clarify – Dark Blade the Dragon Knight.

Matt nodded. "Alright then. Dan, you're up."

Dan was pretty indifferent about it. A duel would be nice, but he was still taking in the scenery around him, so he was surprisingly ok when he pulled Sword Breaker.

Leah, on the other hand, showed no signs of tentativeness at all. She immediately grabbed at one of the remaining cards as soon as Dan's hand was clear, and jumped in jubilation to see it was one of the Evilswarm Thanatos.

"Alright," Matt said when he saw it. "So Leah's going to be dueling. The question is…" he glanced at the remaining two cards in his hand, then at Katie. "…who?"

Katie nodded and reached out for one of the cards. Not willing to wait and see what she'd drawn, Matt turned over the remaining card to see what it was. It was **Treason Blader**.

James saw it too. "You pulled **Treason Blader**, so that means..." All eyes turned to Katie, who grinned and flipped over her own card. Sure enough, it was the other copy of Evilswarm Thanatos.

Matt clapped his hands together. "Alright then, looks like it's going to be Katie vs Leah. I don't know about you guys, but I reckon this ought to be a good one."

"Agreed," said Leah, who was practically bursting with excitement. "This is going to be amazing!"

"I advise you boys to step back," Katie grinned, already preparing her duel disk. "It's time for the girls to go to work."

The three guys retreated to a relatively safe distance, and as the two girls set up their duel disks (surprisingly, they were still working even in frozen time), Matt contacted Professor Usur to let him know what was going on.

"Ah, an excellent choice of duelists," Usur said. "Very well, I shall attune my equipment to their Duel Disks. Now excuse me, I have to talk to them briefly before they begin."

James was listening to the conversation too. "Sir, I'd advise you to be quick about it," he said as the augmented reality rose up around them.

In fact, they were mere seconds from getting started before the Professor's voice crackled over their headsets. "Listen up, you two. This is a test duel, not a real one. I want you both to go all out, but I don't want either of you to Summon any of your Numbers until I say so, ok?" They both decided that this was a reasonable request – they had no idea how the Numbers would behave in this world – so they both said it was ok. "Excellent. Begin the duel when ready." As the final preparation, they girls linked their D-Gazers, and that same irritating voice rang out,

_"AR Vision – link established."_

"Kick her arse, Katie!" James shouted.

"Stop being a cheerleader," Dan laughed.

"DUEL!"

**Katie LP:** 4000

**Leah LP:** 4000

"I know you're about to say 'ladies first'..." Leah began, but stopped as she realised that her trademark opening line wouldn't actually do any good against another girl.

Katie grinned. "You're right, I am. My turn, draw!" She drew her first card in earnest, then paused as she considered her opening move. "I'll just Set one monster and end my turn." Her face-down monster appeared.

"Then it's my turn, draw!" Leah said. "No hesitation here. I Normal Summon **Borealis Tatami**." In a burst of spectral lights, a rainbow-hued angel appeared, garbed in a simple white piece of cloth.

**Borealis Tatami: Fairy-Type/Spirit/WATER/Level 4/ATK 1700/DEF 1100**

"Tatami's effect activates," Leah declared. "When it's Normal Summoned, I can add any Borealis monster from my Deck to my hand. I choose **Borealis Minami**." Her duel disk extracted the card, and she placed it in her hand. "Battle time! **Borealis Tatami**, attack the face-down monster!" The angelic creature charged a sphere of rainbow light and launched it at the Set monster, which flipped up in response to the attack. The players caught a quick glimpse of spindly magician-like monster with petal-shaped protrusions coming from its neck, before it was struck by the attack and destroyed on the spot.

Featherizer: Spellcaster-Type/WIND/Level 2/ATK 700/DEF 1100

"Gotcha," Katie said. "Featherizer's effect activates. When it's destroyed by battle, I can send one Gemini Monster from my Deck to the Graveyard, then draw 1 card." After a quick search through her Deck, she selected **Solstice High Sage** to send to her Graveyard, and drew her card. "Anything else?"

"I've seen you duel enough times Katie; I know that's a set-up." Leah replied. "I place two cards face-down and end my turn. And during the End Phase, since it's a Spirit monster, **Borealis Tatami** returns from the field to my hand." Sure enough, the rainbow-hued Spirit faded into the mist even as her face-down cards appeared.

"Well, if you've seen me duel plenty of times, then you know what's coming," Katie grinned. "I draw. First up, I'll Normal Summon Blazewing Butterfly!" The insect flapped its way onto the field, its wings wreathed in flames.

Blazewing Butterfly: Insect-Type/Gemini/FIRE/Level 4/ATK 1500/DEF 1500

"Next I'll activate the Equip Spell Card, Supervise. Equip to Blazewing Butterfly!" The already-flaming insect was shrouded in a burning aura. "While this card is equipped to a Gemini monster, that monster is treated as an Effect Monster, and gains its effects. And you know what that means."

"Oh, I do, I do!" James shouted from the side-lines. "You can Tribute that thing to revive a Gemini monster from your Graveyard!"

"Give the man a medal!" Katie grinned. "I Tribute Blazewing Butterfly to Special Summon **Solstice High Sage**!" The butterfly was fully engulfed by the flames from its own wings, which merged and grew to a huge size. Then, with the sound of rushing wind, the flames were swept aside to reveal a new monster. It was a bald man in a necromancer's robes, who stood at least twelve feel tall. There was a fiery pattern on his forehead, and a wicked grin on his face.

**Solstice High Sage: Spellcaster-Type/Gemini/FIRE/Level 9/ATK 2800/DEF 3200**

"And of course, let's not forget the other effect of Supervise," Katie added. "When it's sent to the Graveyard, I can Special Summon any Normal Monster from my Graveyard. So come on back, Blazewing Butterfly!" The infernal arthropod reappeared, spraying embers from its wings as it flapped back onto the field.

Blazewing Butterfly: Insect-Type/Gemini/FIRE/Level 4/ATK 1500/DEF 1500

"Now then," Katie grinned. "Here's the thing. Unless you can stop one of these attacks, I'm afraid the duel is over right now. The combined ATKs of my monsters is 4300, which is more that your life points. So, do you have a way to stop me?"

"Attack me and find out," Leah replied, smiling sneakily.

This response made Katie fell a bit uneasy, but she proceeded nonetheless. "Well, unless you can stop me now, this is the end! Go, Blazewing Butterfly, attack her directly!"

"Wait stop," the Professor's voice crackled over their D-Gazers once again. "You can't end the duel now! It's too soon!" But he was too late. The butterfly launched itself towards Leah, trailing a stream of flames.

Leah, however, was completely unperturbed. "I activate the Trap Card, Rainbow Life!" Her Trap Card activated, and shrouded her in a rainbow aura just like her monster had last turn. "With this card, by discarding one card, all damage I take during this turn changes to an increase instead. So instead of taking 1500 damage from this attack, I gain 1500 Life Points." She discarded Airknight Parshath, and in response, the rainbow light flared around her and sent the flaming insect spinning away.

**Leah LP:** 4000 → 5500

"Come on, Katie," she called cheekily. "You should know me better than that."

"You're right, I should've," Katie replied. "You're stronger than the average Number holder, so I need to be a bit more careful with my moves." She checked her hand for other options. "Ok, if it's all the same to you, I think I'll choose not to attack with High Sage."

"Aw... how come?" Leah asked innocently, blatantly ignoring the rainbow aura still surrounding her.

Katie laughed. "I place one card face-down and end my turn." Her Set Spell/Trap Card appeared behind her two monsters.

"Alright then," Leah said, as the rainbow aura around her faded away. "I draw. First, I Normal Summon **Borealis Leger**." Another rainbow-hued angel appeared, but this one carried a longbow.

**Borealis Leger: Fairy-Type/Spirit/WATER/Level 4/ATK 1400/DEF 600**

"And now I'll activate its effect," she declared. "When Leger is Normal Summoned, I can increase the Level of any Spirit monster I control by one. I'll have her increase her own Level." The angel raised its bow so it was pointing straight up, and fired. The arrow burst into particles of light the moment it left the bow, which fell like snow around the spirit.

**Borealis Leger: Level 4 **→** 5**

"Next, I play the Spell Card, Double Summon, which lets me Normal Summon one extra time this turn. So come on out, **Borealis Minami**!" A second, slightly larger angel appeared alongside the first. This one had light brown hair and a different style of clothing, with a collar made of swan feathers. On her head sat a tiara, styled after what looked like butterfly wings.

**Borealis Minami: Fairy-Type/Spirit/WATER/Level 5/ATK 2500/DEF 1700**

"I shouldn't have to explain the effect of Minami, you've seen it often enough," Leah said, and Katie nodded to confirm it. "Alright then, Level five **Borealis Minami** and **Borealis Leger**, Overlay!" The two spirits morphed into fully blue amorphous masses and shot upwards. A red spiral portal opened beneath them.

"Leah, hold on!" James shouted. "The Professor said not to Summon your Numbers!" Dan gave him a whack on the back of the head. "OW! What was that for?"

"James, you prawn, look at the portal," Dan said.

Rubbing the back of his head, James glanced at the portal. "Oh... whoops..."

"Got anything else to shout about, James?" Leah called, smiling. "Or can I carry on?"

James grunted.

"Awesome! I use these two monsters to construct the Overlay Network! Xyz Summon!" The two Material Monsters spiralled down into the portal, which erupted with light. "Appear! Tiras, Keeper of Genesis!" From within the curtain of light an angelic warrior emerged. Its skin, clothes and hair were pure white, it carried a sword and shield, and it was supported in the air by two lustrous golden wings. Two yellow Overlay Units orbited it.

Tiras, Keeper of Genesis: Fairy-Type/Xyz/LIGHT/Rank 5/ATK 2600/DEF 1900 – 2 OLU

"Not a chance," Katie interrupted. "There's no way I'm letting that thing stay on the field. I activate the Counter Trap Card, **Afterburn**!" Her Trap Card flipped up, and the air around it began to shimmer with heat. "With this card, by flipping one of my face-up FIRE Gemini monsters face-down, I can negate a Summon and destroy the monster. I'll flip Blazewing Butterfly face-down to negate-"

"Oh definitely not!" Leah replied. "I activate the Counter Trap Card, Solemn Judgement. So by paying half my Life Points, your Trap is negated and destroyed." The Trap fired off a stream of pure white lightning at the **Afterburn** card, which was destroyed immediately.

**Leah LP:** 5500 → 2750

"So Tiras will be sticking around for a while. And since it is, I think I'll put it to work straight away. Tiras, attack Blazewing Butterfly!" The angelic Xyz Monster soared into the sky and drew its blade with a battle-cry.

"And stop again," Katie said. "I activate the effect of **Solstice Spellweaver** in my hand!" She revealed the card, and a ghostly image of it appeared behind her. "By discarding it, Gemini monsters I control cannot be destroyed by battle this turn." Sure enough, as she discarded it, Tiras swooped down and slashed at the butterfly, but was unable to destroy it. The shockwaves, however, still made their way back to Katie, forcing her back a step.

**Katie LP: **4000 → 2900

"And now Tiras' effect?" Katie asked.

"And now Tiras' effect," Leah agreed. "At the end of a Battle Phase in which it battled, if it still has at least one Overlay Unit attached to it, I can destroy one card you control. I target **Solstice High Sage**!" In a surprise attack, Tiras quickly charged a ball of energy and flung it at the sage. It exploded on contact, completely engulfing the larger monster.

"I'll place one card face-down and end my turn," Leah said, placing her card on her duel disk. "And during each of my End Phases, Tiras loses one of its Overlay Units." As she spoke, one of the yellow orbs dissipated.

Tiras, Keeper of Genesis: 2 → 1 OLU

* * *

Author-made cards:

Borealis Tatami  
Fairy-Type/Spirit/WATER/Level 4/ATK 1700/DEF 1100  
Cannot be Special Summoned. During the End Phase of the turn this card was Normal Summoned or flipped face-up: Return it to the hand. When this card is Normal Summoned: Add 1 "Borealis" monster from your Deck to your hand.

Solstice High Sage  
Spellcaster-Type/Gemini/FIRE/Level 9/ATK 2800/DEF 3200  
This card is treated as a Normal Monster while face-up on the field or in the Graveyard. While this card is face-up on the field, you can Normal Summon it to have it treated as an Effect Monster with this effect: ●Once per turn, during either player's turn: You can Tribute 1 other face-up Gemini monster you control; Special Summon 1 "Solstice" monster (except "Solstice High Sage") from your Deck.

Borealis Leger  
Fairy-Type/Spirit/WATER/Level 4/ATK 1400/DEF 600  
Cannot be Special Summoned. During the End Phase of the turn this card was Normal Summoned or flipped face-up: Return it to the hand. When this card is Normal Summoned: You can target 1 face-up Spirit monster you control; that target gains 1 Level.

Borealis Minami  
Fairy-Type/Spirit/WATER/Level 5/ATK 2500/DEF 1700  
Cannot be Special Summoned. If you control a face-up Spirit monster, you can Normal Summon this card without Tributing. During the End Phase of the turn this card was Normal Summoned or flipped face-up: Return it to the hand, OR if this card was Normal Summoned without Tributing, banish it instead.

Solstice Spellweaver  
Spellcaster-Type/Gemini/FIRE/Level 3/ATK 200/DEF 1900  
During either player's turn: You can discard this card; face-up Gemini monsters you currently control cannot be destroyed by battle this turn. This card is treated as a Normal Monster while face-up on the field or in the Graveyard. While this card is face-up on the field, you can Normal Summon it to have it treated as an Effect Monster with this effect: ●Other face-up Gemini monsters you control cannot be destroyed by battle.

Afterburn  
Counter Trap Card  
When a monster would be Summoned, OR a Spell/Trap Card is activated: Target 1 face-up FIRE Gemini monster you control; flip that target into face-down Defence Position, then negate that Summon/activation, and if you do, destroy it.

* * *

**Fun Fact #11: So who's missed the dueling? We've missed the dueling.**

**Fun Fact #12: Most of us are currently in the process of going back to uni, so our updates are slowing down a bit. Sorry about that.**


	5. Chapter 5

**Katie LP:** 2900

Blazewing Butterfly: Insect-Type/Gemini/FIRE/Level 4/ATK 1500/DEF 1500

**Leah LP:** 2750

Tiras, Keeper of Genesis: Fairy-Type/Xyz/LIGHT/Rank 5/ATK 2600/DEF 1900 – 1 OLU

Spell & Trap Card Zone: 1 set card

"Just look at those two," Matt said in admiration. "They're throwing literally everything they have at each other. It's not often you see that."

Dan nodded. "Yeah. That's because it's not often that two hot-blooded duelists like them get put against each other. This may be a test duel, but if you put two duelists like them in a duel, they're going to try their hardest to win."

"True," Matt said. There was a slight pause, then he went on. "So who's your money on to win?"

"Leah," said Dan.

"Katie," said James.

They both looked at each other.

"Uh, no offense man," James said, "but Katie's stronger. I'm sorry, but that's just a fact. She's stronger."

"I'm not so sure about that," Dan replied. "And anyway, Katie's using a FIRE-Attribute Deck, while Leah's using a WATER-Attribute Deck. And what does fire hate above all else?"

"Omelettes?" Matt suggested.

"Well, yeah, obviously," James replied, ignoring Matt. "But that only applies if the water and fire are introduced at equal strength. For instance, if there's a single droplet of water falling into a furnace, is the furnace likely to be put out?"

"Of course not," Dan said. "But comparing Leah's strength to a drop of water is a very bad idea. I'd compare it more to... um... probably a medium-sized tsunami."

"If she's a tsunami, then Katie's a supernova," James retorted.

"Fellows, please," Matt interrupted. "Maybe we should let the duelists settle things themselves. Does that sound good?"

Before either could reply, Katie's voice rang out. "I Normal Summon Gemini Scorpion!" While they had been talking, Katie had begun her move without them noticing. They turned back to the duel in time to see the black-and-red-armoured warrior appear.

Gemini Scorpion: Warrior-Type/EARTH/Level 4/ATK 1600/DEF 400

"Gemini Scorpion's effect activates," she declared. "When this card is Summoned, I can Special Summon any Level four or lower Gemini monster from my hand. So come on out, **Solstice Pyromancer**!" A new Spellcaster-Type monster appeared in a whirlwind of flames. It was dressed in a ragged cloak, with dull bronze armour visible underneath it, and a long staff in one hand.

**Solstice Pyromancer: Spellcaster-Type/Gemini/FIRE/Level 4/ATK 1700/DEF 1000**

"And now, Level four Blazewing Butterfly and Gemini Scorpion, Overlay!" The two monsters turned fully red and orange respectively, then flew into the sky, away from the spiralling red portal that opened beneath them. "I use these two monsters to construct the Overlay Network! Xyz Summon!" The two blobs of light sailed into the portal, which exploded outwards, whipping up a mighty wind. "Appear, Daigusto Emeral!" Out of the explosion residue leapt a bright green humanoid. Its entire body was fortified with a green substance, most likely emeralds. Attached to both arms were shields with jagged rims, which could double as offensive weapons, and protruding from its back were two gleaming wings. Two green Overlay Units circled it.

Daigusto Emeral: Rock-Type/Xyz/WIND/Rank 4/ATK 1800/DEF 800 – 2 OLU

"Two can play at this game. I don't need my Numbers to take you down," Katie grinned. "Emeral's effect activates. By detaching one of its Overlay Units, I can revive any monster from my Graveyard that doesn't have an effect." A single green orb broke orbit and was absorbed into one of the monster's shields.

Daigusto Emeral: 2 → 1 OLU

"Oh, and I should probably mention," Katie added, "that this includes Gemini monsters, because they're treated as Normal Monsters while in the Graveyard. So be reborn, **Solstice High Sage**!" The big, bad, bald magician reappeared behind Katie.

**Solstice High Sage: Spellcaster-Type/Gemini/FIRE/Level 9/ATK 2800/DEF 3200**

"And straight into battle!" she declared. "**Solstice High Sage**, attack Tiras!" The magician charged up a maelstrom of fire above it head, then launched the whole thing at Tiras. The angel was engulfed by the all-consuming fire, and Leah had to cover her face as the heat struck her.

**Leah LP:** 2750 → 2550

"Pyromancer, direct attack!" The second fiery Spellcaster leapt forward to attack.

This one, however, Leah was ready for. "I activate the Trap Card, **Borealis' Haze**!" Her remaining face-down card flipped up. "With this, I can Special Summon any Level five or lower Borealis monster from my hand, ignoring Summoning conditions. So appear, **Borealis Kita**!" A young, peaceful looking angel appeared on the field, shrouded in the same rainbow light that seemed to be a characteristic of the Borealis monsters. It settled onto her field in Defence Position.

**Borealis Kita: Fairy-Type/Spirit/WATER/Level 3/ATK 300/DEF 1900**

Katie was startled by the manner of Leah's defence. She'd been expecting another Trap like Rainbow Life, or even Mirror Force. "Ok... since the number of monsters on your field has changed, I'll call a replay. Pyromancer, stop your attack!" The Spellcaster halted its charge and traipsed back to her field dejectedly. Katie paused for a moment, and Leah assumed that she was contemplating her next move very carefully.

Then Katie started laughing.

It was so sudden and unexpected, that at first, Leah thought there was something wrong with her. But as she looked up, Leah could see real joy in her eyes. "You're loving this, aren't you?" she said.

Katie nodded. "Definitely. I've faced tons of strong opponents - with and without Numbers - but none of them compare to you. Your dueling is just on another level. I live for duels like this!"

"Right back at you," Leah grinned. "I'm struggling to keep my Life Points here, but I'm loving every second of it. It's amazing."

Dan shook his head. "Utterly mad, the pair of them."

"A good mad though," Matt added, and both James and Dan nodded in agreement.

"Then let's dive right back in," Katie was saying. "I end my turn there."

"And since **Borealis Kita** wasn't Normal Summoned or flipped face-up, its effect doesn't activate, so it doesn't return to my hand." Leah cut in. "My turn, draw." She looked practically jubilant at the sight of her drawn card. "Nice! I activate the Spell Card, Monster Reborn, to revive a monster from the Graveyard. I choose Tiras, Keeper of Genesis!" Her angelic Xyz Monster returned to the field, now devoid of Overlay Units.

Tiras, Keeper of Genesis: Fairy-Type/Xyz/LIGHT/Rank 5/ATK 2600/DEF 1900 – 0 OLU

"Now then," she grinned. "Now you get to see a little trick I picked up fighting my last Number holder."

"And what trick would that be?" Katie queried.

"Shuffling Overlay Units around," came her response. "I activate the Spell Card, **Overlay Bestow**." The Spell Card appeared right where Monster Reborn had been moments earlier. "With this card, I can take an Overlay Unit away from one monster, and attach it to a different monster. And I think I'll be taking Daigusto Emeral's last Overlay Unit, and attaching it to Tiras." Sure enough, Emeral's last remaining Unit broke orbit and flew across the field, before settling into a new orbit around Tiras. As it circled, its colour changed from green to yellow.

Daigusto Emeral: 1 → 0 OLU

Tiras, Keeper of Genesis: 0 → 1 OLU

"And you know what that means..." she grinned. "It means Tiras has all of its effects back. So go Tiras, attack **Solstice Pyromancer**!" The angelic warrior soared into the sky, then hurtled back down and slashed at the Gemini monster. It exploded before it had a chance to cry out.

**Katie LP:** 2900 → 2000

"And just like before, I'll use Tiras' effect to destroy **Solstice High Sage**!" For the second time that duel, Tiras launched a glowing ball of energy at the magician. And for the second time, it succumbed to it, and exploded.

"Oh not again," Katie groaned.

"Déjà vu, don't you think?" Leah said cheekily. "I place one card face-down and end my turn. And during each End Phase, Tiras loses one of its Overlay Units." The Xyz Monsters' last yellow orb dissipated.

Tiras, Keeper of Genesis: 1 → 0 OLU

"Then it's my turn, I draw," Katie began in earnest, but was interrupted by the Professor's crackly voice again.

"Great show of skill ladies," he said, and he sounded genuinely impressed. "My current set of readings is almost complete, so I need you to keep this duel going a little longer, is that ok?"

"That's more than ok, sir," Katie grinned. "That's fantastic!"

"No complaints here," Leah added, looking equally excited.

"Splendid. Carry on," Usur said, before his voice faded away again.

The two duelists refocused on the duel. "Right, now where was I?" Katie said. "Ah yes, I was activating this Spell Card, Dragon's Mirror!" As the Spell Card appeared, a swirling vortex materialized behind her. "This card lets me fuse monsters from my field or Graveyard to Fusion Summon a Dragon-Type Fusion monster from my Extra Deck. I fuse Blazewing Butterfly with **Solstice Spellweaver**." The two monsters appeared briefly on her field, before bursting into particles of light and being sucked into the swirling gateway. "Fusion Summon! Arise, Superalloy Beast Raptinus!" A large Dragon flew out of the vortex, and landed with a thud behind Katie. It was a crazy conglomeration of blues, greens and yellows, and its skin seemed to be in different sections that were stitched together.

Superalloy Beast Raptinus: Dragon-Type/Fusion/LIGHT/Level 8/ATK 2200/DEF 2200

"As long as Raptinus remains on the field," Katie explained, "all Gemini monsters are treated as Effect Monsters and gain their effects. Which is a lot of fun, especially when I'm holding this card in my hand." She picked a card from her hand and flipped it around, a wide smile running across her face. "I Summon **Solstice Æthermage**." A new magician appeared. This one seemed to be a smaller version of High Sage, complete with necromancer's robes and extreme baldness. With a wicked grin, the magician raised its hands above its head, and formed a giant eye made entirely out of flames.

**Solstice Æthermage: Spellcaster-Type/Gemini/FIRE/Level 4/ATK 1600/DEF 1300**

"I'm on fire today!" Katie laughed. "**Solstice Æthermage**'s effect activates. By Tributing it, I can Special Summon any Solstice monster from my Deck." The younger necromancer disappeared, but the flaming eye remained floating above the field. "I Summon my second copy of **Solstice High Sage**!" Quite suddenly, the eye expanded outwards until it resembled a flaming portal, through which another tall, balding sage stepped.

**Solstice High Sage: Spellcaster-Type/Gemini/FIRE/Level 9/ATK 2800/DEF 3200**

"So let's try this thing again. High Sage, attack Ti-"

But Leah was already responding before she'd finished. "I activate the Trap Card, Waboku. With this, all Battle Damage I take this turn is negated, and my monsters cannot be destroyed by battle." Sure enough, High Sage launched a whirlwind of fire at Tiras, but the angel emerged unharmed.

Katie shook her head in disbelief. "Jeez... what will it take to get rid of your Life Points? I'll place a card face-down and end my turn." Her Set card appeared behind Daigusto Emeral.

"I've had to deal with seriously strong attacks in the past," Leah said. "So I have no desire to recklessly take them in the future. My turn, draw. I Normal Summon Tsukuyomi!" A blue-haired, purple-cloaked spirit appeared.

Tsukuyomi: Spellcaster-Type/Spirit/DARK/Level 4/ATK 1100/DEF 1400

"Ah, I recognise that card," Katie exclaimed. "That card's been forbidden for years, and they only just recently made it legal to use again."

"Yeah, I was so excited when I heard," Leah grinned.

"Excited is a bit of an understatement," Dan called. "When she heard, she started jumping up and down like a little schoolkid."

"The funny thing is, I can totally picture her doing that," Matt laughed.

"Hate you both!" she shouted, stamping her feet. "I am not a little schoolchild!"

"Careful, don't have a tantrum," James said, which made both Dan and Matt crack up.

Red with embarrassment, Leah turned back to Katie, who was also biting her lip to avoid laughing. "Let's move along," she asserted. "I activate Tsukuyomi's effect. When it's Summoned, I can target one face-up monster and flip it into face-down Defence Position. I target **Borealis Kita**!" With an authoritative air, the spirit pointed a hand at Kita, which instantly evaporated into glowing smoke, before reforming as a face-down Defence Position card.

"Aha, I reckon I know what's coming next," Katie said.

"I should hope so," Leah said. "I Flip Summon **Borealis Kita**!" The face-down card flipped back over, and the young angel reappeared in a flash of rainbow light.

**Borealis Kita: Fairy-Type/Spirit/WATER/Level 3/ATK 300/DEF 1900**

"And due to its Flip Effect, I can add any Spirit monster from my Deck to my hand. I choose **Borealis Leger**." Her duel disk spat out the card, which she caught and placed in her hand. "And now one of my favourite Spell Cards. I activate **Dance of the Northern Lights**!"

"No!" Katie gasped, as the Quick-Play Spell appeared on Leah's field.

"Afraid so," she grinned. "With this card, by returning a WATER Spirit monster I control to my hand, I can banish two cards you control. So I'll bounce **Borealis Kita** to my hand, and target **Solstice High Sage** and Superalloy Beast Raptinus to banish!" Its task done, the young angel faded away into mist. Then, the Spell let off a burst of spectral lights, which surrounded Katie's two strongest monsters and annihilated both.

"I don't believe this," Katie groaned, waving her arm to clear the energy residue. "Spirits fell out of use for a reason – that they're so temperamental. No-one could ever get them to work consistently enough. Yet here you are, ripping my field apart turn after turn."

"You're one to talk," Leah smiled. "You with your Gemini Deck, a set of cards that people always condemned to the mediocre category."

There was a slight pause as they looked at each other.

"We're totally awesome, aren't we?" Katie grinned.

"Absolutely!" Leah laughed. "Now onto battle! Tiras, attack Daigusto Emeral!" The winged warrior flapped into the air, then hurtled down and slashed at its Xyz brethren, destroying it on the spot.

**Katie LP:** 2000 → 1200

"And Tsukuyomi, attack directly!" The remaining Spirit monster ran at Katie and struck her with an outstretched palm. She staggered back, and watched anxiously as her Life Point meter fell.

**Katie LP:** 1200 → 100

"I'll end my turn there," Leah said. "And during the End Phase, Tsukuyomi returns to my hand." Sure enough, the powerful Spirit faded away into the mist just as Kita had done. Leah then settled back to watch Katie's next move.

But before she could so much as regain her composure, Professor Usur was talking to them again. "Hello everyone? Hello? Can you still hear me?"

"Yes sir, we can hear you," Katie said, putting a hand to her ear.

"Good," he said. "Now, listen carefully. I've got most of the readings I wanted, but we're running out of time, so I'm going to skip straight to the final step."

"What final step?" Leah queried.

"The Numbers," Usur replied. "That's all I need now, but like I said, we're short on time. You have to Summon your Numbers, now."

* * *

Author-made cards:

Solstice Pyromancer  
Spellcaster-Type/Gemini/FIRE/Level 4/ATK 1700/DEF 1000  
This card is treated as a Normal Monster while face-up on the field or in the Graveyard. While this card is face-up on the field, you can Normal Summon it to have it treated as an Effect Monster with this effect: ●When this card destroys an opponent's monster by battle and sends it to the Graveyard: You can target 1 FIRE monster in your Graveyard; Special Summon that target in face-up Defence Position.

Solstice Æthermage  
Spellcaster-Type/Gemini/FIRE/Level 4/ATK 1600/DEF 1300  
This card is treated as a Normal Monster while face-up on the field or in the Graveyard. While this card is face-up on the field, you can Normal Summon it to have it treated as an Effect Monster with this effect: ●You can Tribute this card you control; Special Summon 1 "Solstice" monster (except "Solstice Æthermage") from your Deck.

Borealis Kita  
Fairy-Type/Spirit/WATER/Level 3/ATK 300/DEF 1900  
FLIP: Add 1 Spirit monster from your Deck to your hand.  
Cannot be Special Summoned. During the End Phase of the turn this card was Normal Summoned or flipped face-up: Return it to the hand.

Overlay Bestow  
Spell Card  
Target 1 face-up Xyz Monster; take 1 Overlay Unit from that target, and attach it to another face-up Xyz Monster.

Dance of the Northern Lights  
Quick-Play Spell Card  
Return 1 WATER Spirit monster you control to the hand, then target 2 cards your opponent controls; banish them.

* * *

**Fun Fact #13: So who else remembers Dance of the Northern Lights? Everybody? Good. That card is fast turning into Leah's signature card, even overshadowing most of her monsters. Not that she's complaining.**

**Fun Fact #14: On the subject of Leah's cards, you may have noticed the addition of Tsukuyomi, fresh off the forbidden list. Such a joyous occasion for her Deck, as we said it would be quite a while ago. It is good to see it off the list at last. Next in line should be Metamorphosis. Come on, Konami, you know full well that Metamophosis doesn't belong on the forbidden list anymore.**

**Fun Fact #15: There was originally a scene planned where Katie performs an amazing loop with a card called Solstice Summoner, that finishes with her controlling three Solstice High Sages, but we cut it for two reasons. Firstly, time. Secondly, complexity.**


	6. Chapter 6

**Katie LP:** 100

Spell & Trap Card Zone: 1 set card

**Leah LP:** 2550

Tiras, Keeper of Genesis: Fairy-Type/Xyz/LIGHT/Rank 5/ATK 2600/DEF 1900 – 0 OLU

"Sir, I have to object to that," Matt said, tuning his D-Gazer into the conversation. "Summoning the Numbers in this world, and in this frozen time, is way too dangerous. The reason we're able to move is because the Numbers seem to be protecting us, which means they're somehow affecting the dimensional distortion. We have no idea how they'll will react if we actually Summon them."

"Precisely," Usur replied. "We have no idea what they'll do, which is exactly why I want to find out."

"But what if they go insane the moment they enter the duel?" Matt protested. "My friends are in that duel. You can't be serious about this."

"I most certainly am!" Usur snapped. "You understood the risks when you started this job; this is just an occupational hazard. Now be quiet, young man!"

All three of the spectating guys were practically seething by this point. James started to argue hotly, but was interrupted by Katie. "Of course sir, we'll get started right away."

James practically swallowed his tongue with shock. "Please tell me you're joking, babe!" he called.

"Nope," she grinned. "I'm actually as curious as the Professor is. So, if it's ok with you Matt, I'd like to give it a go."

"Of course it's not ok with me!" Matt gasped. "What're you thinking?"

"Mostly about winning," she said, looking at Leah. "You're so different to all the duelists I've faced before, and you're so, _so_ strong. I don't think I've ever wanted to defeat anyone more."

"I'm not so sure..." Leah said doubtfully. "This is a plan where we have nothing to gain and a whole lot to lose. It's not just dangerous, it's _unnecessarily_ dangerous."

Katie laughed. "Well that makes a change Leah. You're usually the one who'd be trying to convince me to do it." She then turned her attention back to her D-Gazer. "Professor, I'll do it."

"Excellent," Usur's voice crackled back. "At least I can rely on one of you. Get started immediately, and I will let you know if anything happens on my end." He fell silent once again.

Katie ended the call, then readied herself. "Now then, let's get started. My turn, draw!" She didn't even hesitate to play her drawn card. "I activate the Continuous Spell Card, Fire Formation – Tenki!" The Spell appeared on her field. "When I activate this card, I can add any Level four or lower Beast-Warrior-Type monster from my Deck to my hand. I choose Woodland Archer." Her duel disk extracted the card for her, which she instantly played. "Then I Special Summon Woodland Archer!" A heavily bearded, blue-skinned monster took to the field. It had long horns like a mountain goat, a blue scaly tail, and was carrying a green bow.

Woodland Archer: Beast-Warrior-Type/EARTH/Level 3/ATK 1400/DEF 1300

"Oh, and as a bonus, as long as I control Fire Formation – Tenki, all Beast-Warrior-Type monsters I control gain 100 ATK."

Woodland Archer: ATK 1400 → 1500

"Although that's a little beside the point, because I'm just going to use its effect," she declared. "By tributing it, I can add one Gemini monster from my Deck to my hand. This time I choose **Solstice Armed Mage**." Once again, her Deck spat out the card. "Then I'll play another Continuous Spell, Herculean Power. With this card, once per turn, if all the monsters in play are on your side of the field, I can Special Summon one Level four or lower Gemini monster from my hand. So with this effect, I Special Summon **Solstice Armed Mage**!" A pale-skinned magician appeared, wearing a dark red trench coat and carrying a long staff. At the end of the staff was a sculpture of a dragon wrapped around a crystal ball.

**Solstice Armed Mage: Spellcaster-Type/Gemini/FIRE/Level 4/ATK 1800/DEF 200**

"And the fun just keeps on coming," Katie laughed, immediately placing another card onto her duel disk. "I Normal Summon **Solstice Armoured Mage**!" A second Spellcaster materialized beside the first. It was a slim magician dressed in a dark red cloak, and it was carrying a large shield, onto which was printed the image of a coiled dragon.

**Solstice Armoured Mage: Spellcaster-Type/Gemini/FIRE/Level 4/ATK 400/DEF 2000**

"This is it, Leah," Katie called. "Ready or not, here it comes! Level four Armed Mage and Armoured Mage, Overlay!" Both magicians morphed into red amorphous masses and shot into the sky. Where they had stood, a portal opened. This one, however, was galaxy-shaped. "I use these two monsters to construct the Overlay Network! Xyz Summon!" The two Material Monsters blazed into the portal like little red comets. The portal exploded, and a column of fire shot out of it. "Be born! **Number 91: Flarestormer**!"

A bright red number ninety-one flashed above the field. Out of the column of fire rose the Number's sealed form – it resembled a piece of rock in a V-shape, with volcanic veins pulsing over its surface. A massive crack rent the stone in two. Then another split, and another, each one revealing more of the monster hidden within. It was a centaur, with a burning body. With a roar, the creature freed itself from its shell, and stretched its arms to the sky, as though trying to embrace the suns. Its entire body seemed to be made entirely of magma, with only a few black strips of armour and its orange bat-like wings deviating from that. Two red Overlay Units orbited it.

**Number 91: Flarestormer: Pyro-Type/Xyz/FIRE/Rank 4/ATK 2000/DEF 200 – 2 OLU**

Katie glanced at the back of her hand as the scarlet number ninety-one etched itself into being. She'd long since lost her fear of it, as the metal bands around their wrists held back the Number's destructive influence.

But what about here? What about in this world?

"Katie, behind you!" James shouted.

Her heart leapt with fright. Was the Number getting set to attack her? Was it going to go on a rampage and destroy this city? Filled with apprehension, she whipped around to look at her Number.

And gasped.

Flarestormer hadn't moved. Apparently the band was still working on it - it was just standing there like any regular monster, waiting to be given a command. It was the air around it that was different. It was... glowing. It took Katie a while to work out what it was. It was the particles of light, the ones that had been there ever since the three suns appeared, both in this world and their own world. The tiny glowing particles of yellow, blue, and red light. Ever since they'd appeared, they'd been floating gently upwards, borne into the sky by an invisible force... or rather, as though they had forgotten that gravity affected them.

But that was changing. The ones rising up near Flarestormer were being attracted to it, and were clustering around it as though pulled by a magnet. More and more of them were attracted to the Number, until it was completely surrounded by a softly glowing haze. Some of the particles had even attached themselves to Flarestormer's Overlay Units, and were riding the red orbs in big circles around the Numbers body. The orbs were saturated in the light, and were trailing particles like miniature little comets. A few of the particles that couldn't get near the Number instead chose to cluster around the glowing symbol on Katie's hand.

The entirety of Team Delta were mesmerized by the sight.

"They... they're..." James stammered. "...just... look at them..."

"They're beautiful," Leah breathed. Then she jumped as Professor Usur's voice, filled with static, rang out through their D-Gazers.

"What? What is it?" he asked. "I can hear you all talking about something; what do you see?"

"It's... just..." Katie said. "Well... the particles of light surrounding us..."

"The residue from the energy collision, yes. What about it?" Usur snapped impatiently.

"Well... it's sort of... attracted to my Number."

"Attracted?" the Professor repeated, and now there was confusion in his voice. "What do you mean attracted? Explain! Tell me exactly what you can see."

Taking a deep breath, Katie described the strange phenomenon as best she could, including all the details about what the particles were doing, and how they were interacting with her Number and her own hand.

Once she'd finished, the Professor spoke again, but this time his voice carried more puzzlement. "Odd... from what you've described, it seems that the particles are reacting to the energy given off by the Number. But – as strange as it sounds – my sensors haven't picked up a thing. Not one blip, even from the moment we started. It's like they don't exist."

"The particles don't exist?" Matt repeated, looking around. "But I can see them. So could you; we all can."

"Like I said, strange," Usur replied. They then heard a beeping sound in the background. "Look, we'll have to finish debating later. It's only a matter of minutes until the gateway closes again. Continue the duel now! Matt, Dan, James, keep watching the Number, and remember anything that happens. You can report everything directly to me once you're back through."

Katie realised he was right. There would be time to stare and speculate later, but now they had a duel to finish. "Ready to continue, Leah?" she called. Leah nodded, still a bit shaky, but still prepared. "Alright then, battle! Flarestormer, attack Tiras!" The centaur reared onto its hind legs as it prepared to charge. "And now I'll activate its effect! When it battles, by detaching one of its Overlay Units, I can increase its ATK by 100 for each monster in my Graveyard." One of the red orbs shot into the monster's chest. The particles of light that had clung to it fell away like dust being blown from a tabletop.

**Number 91: Flarestormer: 2 **→** 1 OLU**

"So let's count them," Katie said. "I have Featherizer, **Solstice High Sage**, Gemini Scorpion, **Solstice Pyromancer**, **Solstice Æthermage**, Daigusto Emeral, Woodland Archer, and the **Solstice Armed Mage** I just detached. That's eight monsters, which means 800 extra attack points."

**Number 91: Flarestormer: ATK 2000 **→** 2800**

At that moment, all of the particles of light surrounding the Number scattered, retreating to a safe distance around it. And a good thing too – immediately after, Flarestormer wreathed itself in a coat of flames and charged at Tiras. The shell of particles parted to allow the Number to make contact with the enemy Xyz Monster. The centaur smashed into Tiras and annihilated it on the spot. Leah was knocked off her feet by the explosion that followed.

**Leah LP:** 2550 → 2350

"Then I'll activate my Trap Card, **Xyz Vengeful Soul**!" The Trap Card set between her two Continuous Spells flipped up. "This card can only be activated when one of your Xyz Monsters is destroyed by battle with one of my Xyz Monsters. Then, it takes the ATK of your destroyed monster in the Graveyard, and splits it in half." A flickering, distorted image of Tiras appeared, floating in front of the card. "Half of its ATK is inflicted to you as damage, and the other half is used to increase my life points." Suddenly, the angelic Xyz Monster split down the middle, and separated into two bolts of energy. One of them shot at Leah and struck her head-on as she was getting up, knocking her straight back down again.

**Leah LP:** 2350 → 1050

The other entered Katie's duel disk, lighting it up like a beacon.

**Katie LP:** 100 → 1400

"And that ends my turn," Katie grinned, finally getting back into the spirit of things. But she did notice that, as Number 91 cantered back to her field, the particles of light around it reassumed their positions close to its body. She made a mental note to mention that to the Professor.

Meanwhile, Leah was standing up and beginning her move. "My turn, draw! I Normal Summon **Borealis Tatami**!" The first monster she had Summoned reappeared on her field.

**Borealis Tatami: Fairy-Type/Spirit/WATER/Level 4/ATK 1700/DEF 1100**

"And with its effect, when it's Normal Summoned, I'll add another copy of **Borealis Leger** to my hand." She quickly snatched the card out of her Deck. Katie wondered what she was doing. "Next I'll use the Spell Card, Double Summon, which grants me an Extra Normal Summon this turn. So come on out, **Borealis Leger**!" The longbow-toting angel appeared.

**Borealis Leger: Fairy-Type/Spirit/WATER/Level 4/ATK 1400/DEF 600**

"And of course, you remember its effect," Leah grinned. "When it's Summoned, a Spirit monster I control has its Level increased by one. I'll have it target itself."

**Borealis Leger: Level 4 **→** 5**

"Aha!" Dan exclaimed from the side-lines. "So that's it. You're aiming for that, aren't you?"

She winked at him, then resumed her move. "I activate the Spell Card, Resonance Device!" The Spell Card appeared between her two monsters. "By targeting two monsters I control with the same Type and Attribute, this card will change the Level of one to equal the Level of the other. I'll change Tatami's Level to equal Leger's." The Spell gave of a series of resonant sound waves, which surrounded both monsters.

**Borealis Tatami: Level 4 **→** 5**

"And now the real fight begins!" she declared. "Level five Tatami and Leger, Overlay!" The two monsters turned fully blue, then flew into the sky, away from the galaxy-style portal that opened beneath them. "I use these two monsters to construct the Overlay Network! Xyz Summon!" The two monsters soared into the portal, which erupted with light. "Be born! **Number 17: Passion Aurora**!"

The green number 17 flashed above the field and onto Leah's left hand, and a spinning sideways-oval crest appeared, sporting three sharp protrusions; two from the side and one from underneath. Protruding from the side of each 'spike' were two downy wings, making for six in total. Lines of light traced across the surface of the crest as it started to unfold. All six wings stretched out. A pitch-black humanoid figure, covered in shining gold armour, began to take form. Two scarf-like strips of fabric, one grey and one purple, hung from its waste. It had spikes on its kneecaps, and pointed feet. Everything about it besides its wings looked synthetic. With one final battle-cry, it stretched out its arms and wings, then took its position ready for battle, orbited by two yellow Overlay Units.

**Number 17: Passion Aurora: Fairy-Type/Xyz/LIGHT/Rank 5/ATK 2500/DEF 1800 – 2 OLU**

Just like before, the particles of light closed in on the Number, latching themselves onto it and its Overlay Units. Leah watched them with awe and curiosity. Some of the stray particles swirled around her left hand like tiny insects. Smiling at the sight, she flexed her fingers and watched as they mimicked the movement.

Then an idea occurred to her.

Turning to face the spectators, she called out. "Everyone, I'm about to try something! Be ready to run!"

Matt and James looked perplexed, but Dan realised instantly what she was about to do, and called back. "Don't you dare, Leah! Don't do it!"

Ignoring him, she turned back and wrapped a hand around her left wrist. "I hope you're watching Professor," she muttered to herself, "because I'm about to give you some serious readings."

And in one swift movement, she pulled her metal band off her wrist.

* * *

Author-made cards:

Solstice Armed Mage  
Spellcaster-Type/Gemini/FIRE/Level 4/ATK 1800/DEF 200  
This card is treated as a Normal Monster while face-up on the field or in the Graveyard. While this card is face-up on the field, you can Normal Summon it to have it treated as an Effect Monster with this effect: ●This card's original ATK becomes 2400.

Solstice Armoured Mage  
Spellcaster-Type/Gemini/FIRE/Level 4/ATK 400/DEF 2000  
This card is treated as a Normal Monster while face-up on the field or in the Graveyard. While this card is face-up on the field, you can Normal Summon it to have it treated as an Effect Monster with this effect: ●This card's original DEF becomes 2600.

Number 91: Flarestormer  
Pyro-Type/Xyz/FIRE/Rank 4/ATK 2000/DEF 200  
2 Level 4 monsters  
This card cannot be destroyed by battle, except by a "Number" monster. Once per turn, during either player's Damage Step, when a face-up monster battles: You can detach 1 Overlay Unit from this card, then target 1 of the battling monsters; that target gains 100 ATK for each monster in your Graveyard until the end of the Damage Step.

Number 17: Passion Aurora  
Fairy-Type/Xyz/LIGHT/Rank 5/ATK 2500/DEF 1800  
2 Level 5 monsters  
This card cannot be destroyed by battle, except by a "Number" monster. Neither player can Special Summon monsters. During either player's turn: You can detach 1 Overlay Unit from this card; negate this card's effects until the End Phase.

Xyz Vengeful Soul  
Trap Card  
When an Xyz Monster you control destroys an opponent's Xyz Monster by battle and sends it to the Graveyard: Inflict damage to your opponent equal to half the destroyed monster's original ATK in the Graveyard, then gain the same amount of Life Points.

* * *

**Fun Fact #16: Numbers! Who remembers them? We sure do.**

**Fun Fact #17: Yes, you did just see my character play a currently unreleased card. Fire Formation - Tenki is one of the support cards for the Fire Fist monsters, an archetype which I've completely fallen in love with already. And no wonder: they're pretty darn awesome.**

**Fun Fact #18: For those of you with a keen eye and a good memory, you may have noticed that Leah made a blunder. She still had Tsukuyomi in her hand, and could've easily used it to flip Number 91: Flarestormer face-down first, where its effect would become useless. Well, we can justify that. Firstly, Flarestormer is a Number, so Tsukuyomi wouldn't have been able to destroy it by battle. Secondly, she wouldn't have been able to Summon her own Number using Resonance Device, since Tsukuyomi is a LIGHT Fairy-Type monster. Thirdly, while Summoning Number 10: Terra Storm would've been possible, it would most likely have gone insane the moment she removed her band. Fourthly, this is a test duel.  
**


	7. Chapter 7

**Katie LP:** 1400

**Number 91: Flarestormer: Pyro-Type/Xyz/FIRE/Rank 4/ATK 2000/DEF 200 – 1 OLU**

Spell & Trap Card Zone: Herculean Power, Fire Formation – Tenki

**Leah LP:** 1050

**Number 17: Passion Aurora: Fairy-Type/Xyz/LIGHT/Rank 5/ATK 2500/DEF 1800 – 2 OLU**

Leah allowed her metal band to drop to the ground with a clang. From almost the moment it hit the ground, she felt the vicious minds of her Numbers begin to assail her mind, seeking to take control.

To anyone else, that would've been the end. To her, it was more of a temporary annoyance. In less than a second, she'd built up her emotions in a defensive wall, and used it to shove the Numbers back violently. Their influence was swept from her head like leaves in the breeze. It happened so quickly that the glowing symbols of her other Numbers didn't even have time to appear on her skin.

But that was only the beginning.

Leah was suddenly showered from behind by the particles of light, as those surrounding Passion Aurora were pushed away from it. No... not pushed away. It looked more like they were running. Fleeing.

"But why?" Leah muttered, waving the particles out of her face. "Why are you doing that? What's changed?"

"Well," James chimed in, having heard her over the D-Gazer system. "Your Number for a start. Look!"

She whipped around to look at her Number. Freed from the band's restraint, the angelic creature was slowly stretching its arms, flexing its shoulders, loosening up for battle with another Number. It was glaring at Flarestormer with pure hatred, who in turn was staring blankly back. Flarestormer was still being restrained by Katie's band, so even its facial expressions were being prevented.

But presently, a change came over Leah's Number. It began to forget about Flarestormer, as it became slowly more aware of its surroundings, and of the foreign nature of the world it was in. It glanced around almost curiously, taking in everything – the three suns, the particles of light, and the minute differences in the city's layout – but the moment it laid eyes on the colossal tower with the heart on top, it just... stopped. It simply stood there, staring at the tower, as though not quite sure what to make of it.

Leah put a hand up to her D-Gazer to call the Professor again, but Katie interrupted her. "No, wait," she called. "We haven't got time to call the Professor every five seconds. Look at the suns." The team looked into the sky. There were still three suns up there, but they were much closer together now.

"She's right," Matt said definitively. "Time's running out. Priority one is to finish this duel as quickly as we can, then get back to the gateway before it closes and we get stranded here. Clear?"

Everyone nodded, and James, who was staring out over the city, gulped. "Yeah, this definitely isn't a world we want to stay in."

Dan looked over at him curiously. "Why do you say that?" he asked.

"Because..." he said, his voice trembling, his eyes never leaving the landscape, "...people in this world can fly..."

As one, the five of them followed his gaze to a point just above a section of the monorail a few hundred metres away, and saw... well, they saw exactly what James had said: a flying man. He was wearing a black coat, but the distance made it impossible to see any further detail. He had some sort of metal kite strapped to his back, and was gliding over the rooftops, scanning the ground below carefully. He was so preoccupied, and so far away, that he didn't see them.

Dan put a hand to his forehead in exasperation. "Great. I was hoping that this was as weird as things were going to get..."

"In that case, don't look at my Number," Leah called. Completely disregarding her advice, Dan turned back to look at the synthetic angel, which seemed to have joined them in watching the flying man. But it wasn't looking at him with curiosity, but with a rage the likes of which they'd never seen. It looked set to tear the mysterious man limb from limb.

Matt shook his head. "No no no, don't get distracted now. We have to finish the duel," he firmly. "James, snap a few pictures of that man, and of Leah's Number." James nodded and began cycling through options on his D-Gazer. "Ladies, finish the duel, right now!"

Leah nodded in agreement. "Alright, let's do it quickly then! I activate the Spell Card, **Overlay Force**!" The Spell materialized on her field, and the Number looked at it expectantly. "With this card, by detaching an Overlay Unit from a monster I control, that monster gains 1000 ATK for the rest of this turn!" One of Passion Aurora's yellow orbs broke orbit and shot into the Spell Card, which in turn enveloped the monster in a crimson light.

**Number 17: Passion Aurora: 2 **→** 1 OLU**

**Number 17: Passion Aurora: ATK 2500 **→** 3500**

"Go, Passion Aurora, attack Flarestormer!" The synthetic angel began to collect particles of golden energy in its palm.

"Damn," Katie said. "I'm going to lose my Number, but I can still preserve some Life Points! I activate Flarestormer's effect! By detaching one of its Overlay Units, it gains 100 ATK for each monster in my Graveyard!" The centaur absorbed its last red Unit.

**Number 91: Flarestormer: 1 **→** 0 OLU**

**Number 91: Flarestormer: ATK 2000 **→** 2900**

Without another moment's hesitation, Number 17 fired a beam of crackling golden energy at Number 91. The centaur was struck full in the chest, and cried out in pain before exploding. Katie was thrown back by the explosion, and landed heavily on her back, particles of energy swirling around her. She gasped in pain as the glowing number ninety-one shattered from the back of her hand.

**Katie LP:** 1400 → 800

"Leah, you have to go faster!" Dan shouted, eying the sky nervously. The edges of the three suns were now touching. There wasn't much time left.

"I'm going as fast as I can," she called back, feeling flustered. "I place one card face-down and end my turn. Go quickly Katie!"

**Number 17: Passion Aurora: ATK 3500 **→** 2500**

"My turn, draw!" Katie had also noticed the suns getting closer together, and drew her card in a hurry. "Alright, first I activate the Quick-Play Spell, Forbidden Chalice! It increases the ATK of any monster on the field by 400, but cancel's its effects. I target Passion Aurora!" The angel was surrounded by a soft white light, but at the same time, its armour began to lose its golden sheen.

**Number 17: Passion Aurora: ATK 2500 **→** 2900**

"That deals with your Number's effects, so I can Special Summon all the monsters I want now," Katie said. "So I activate the effect of the Continuous Spell Card, Herculean Power. Since you control a monster and I don't, I can Special Summon one Level four or lower Gemini monster from my hand. I choose Solstice Armed Mage!" Her crimson-robed, pale magician appeared.

**Solstice Armed Mage: Spellcaster-Type/Gemini/FIRE/Level 4/ATK 1800/DEF 200**

"Next I'll use another Spell Card... Rekindling!" The infamous Spell Card appeared on her field. "With this, I can revive any FIRE monsters with 200 DEF from my Graveyard, which includes the other copy of **Solstice Armed Mage** in my Graveyard. Appear, **Solstice Armed Mage**!" A second copy of the same Spellcaster appeared.

**Solstice Armed Mage: Spellcaster-Type/Gemini/FIRE/Level 4/ATK 1800/DEF 200**

"And finally, I activate the Spell Card, Silent Doom, to revive a Normal Monster from my Graveyard in Defence Position. Appear, **Solstice Æthermage**!" The balding necromancer took to the field. No flaming eye accompanied it this time.

**Solstice Æthermage: Spellcaster-Type/Gemini/FIRE/Level 4/ATK 1600/DEF 1300**

James scratched his head. There was something about the way she was dueling that seemed familiar… something that he recognised. As quickly as he could, he played back her move in his head, carefully examining every card she'd played, and linking it back to her previous duels. A pattern began to form in his mind...

And for possibly the first time in his life, he realised what she was about to do before anyone else.

"Katie, don't!" he shouted.

Katie had just raised her hand to declare her next move, but stopped dead as she heard her boyfriend's urgent call. She turned to look at him. "What's the matter?" she asked.

"You can't Summon that!" he replied. "Not here! Not now! There isn't enough time!"

"There's just enough time for this last move I reckon," she grinned. "I'm never going to get another chance at this, so just let me do it, ok?"

James was about to argue some more, but she just soldiered on regardless. "Alright, brace yourselves everyone! Level four Æthermage and both Armed Mages, Overlay!" All three Spellcasters turned fully red, and shot upwards, clearing the way for a galaxy-shaped portal to open beneath them. I use these two monsters to construct the Overlay Network! Xyz Summon!" One after the other, all three monsters sailed onto the portal, which erupted upwards with light. "Arise, **Number 94: Matrix Golem**!"

The electric green number ninety-four flashed above the field, at the same time etching itself into the back of Katie's hand. Out of the residue from the portal rose a massive metal cube. It was a huge array of colours, but all of them were dulled out. Slowly, the cube began to split widthways, opening up into two pieces. These pieces split through the middle, opening into numerous different shapes. These shapes floated slowly out and reconfigured themselves in different locations, eventually forming the crude appearance of a cyclops. Laboriously, the cyclops stretched its arms out and let off a strange electronic howl, full of static and buzzing. Its chest was raised far above its waist, and the area where its stomach should have been was little more than a metal pole for support. Its number was clearly visible, printed on a circular plate that replaced its solar plexus. Its colours were still dulled out: in fact, the most striking feature about it was its three bright yellow Overlay Units.

**Number 94: Matrix Golem: Machine-Type/Xyz/Gemini/LIGHT/Rank 4/ATK 2000/DEF 2000 – 3 OLU**

"You must be joking," Matt gasped. "Another Number? Now?"

"Our time's not up yet," Katie replied, watching as the particles of light clustered around her new Number and its Overlay Units. Turning away from that process, she looked at Leah. "Right now, I want to beat her more than anything in the world. So I'll keep on dueling right up to the last second!"

Leah stared at her in admiration. She always liked seeing girls acting so strong and decisive... and Katie was about as strong as they came.

Matt shook his head in exasperation, and glanced at the sky again. "Well be quick about it. We have minutes at most."

"Alright," Katie said. "I Normal Summon **Number 94: Matrix Golem**." With a flash of light, all of the coloured panels covering its body lit up. It raised its arms to the sky and howled again, but this time there was no static, no interference. The Number somehow seemed more complete than before.

**Number 94: Matrix Golem: Machine-type/Xyz/Gemini/LIGHT/Rank 4/ATK 2000/DEF 2000 – 3 OLU**

"Next I'll activate its effect!" she declared, reaching underneath her monster to grab one of the cards stacked beneath it. "By detaching one of its Overlay Units, I ca-" but before she could go any further, a shockwave struck the ground they were standing on, making the whole building shake. The five kids were immediately knocked off their balance.

"What the hell was that?" James gasped, rubbing his head where it'd struck the concrete.

As if to answer, the Professor's familiar voice crackled over their D-Gazers once again. "Listen, all of you! The rip in the dimensions has almost repaired itself. I'm starting the return process now. Get on the platform immediately!"

"No sir, not yet!" Leah cried. "We're so close to finishing this duel, we just need a little more time-"

"Don't you understand, girl?" Usur bellowed. "Dimensions don't operate on your schedule! I cannot delay things any longer! That platform will return with or without you, so you'd better make sure you're on it when it moves! Now get going!" His voice cut out, and true to his word, the pylons surrounding the platform began to crackle with electricity.

Leah and Katie looked at each other. There was a desperate longing in both of their faces, but they both knew their time was up. They had to go.

"Ready?" Katie asked.

Leah nodded. "Yep, let's do it!"

And they both placed their hands on top of their Decks.

**Katie LP:** 800 [DRAW]

**Leah LP:** 1050 [DRAW]

Both Numbers flickered and dissipated, and the augmented reality field faded away around them. The two duelists stared at each other for a moment longer.

"Run?" Katie asked.

"Run!" Leah agreed, and both of them turned and sprinted towards the platform, following the guys, who had started running them moment the duel had ended.

Suddenly, Leah stopped and turned back. "Wait, my band! I can't just leave it here!"

"You have to!" Dan insisted, twisting round as he ran. "It's trash to anyone in this world, and you don't even need it! Now run!"

She stared at the gleaming strip of metal for another second, then turned and made straight for the platform. By now, the other four were standing there, urging her to run faster. The floor beneath them shook once again. The three suns in the sky were starting to look like just one...

With one final effort, Leah threw herself onto the platform, sliding to a halt at their feet. The moment she was on board, red electricity lanced between the pylons, completely encircling them. Dan knelt down beside her to check that she was unhurt. She looked up at him and grinned. "Cut it a bit close there, didn't I?"

Dan laughed. "Your recklessness will be the end of me one day."

She didn't have time to reply. There was a deafening bang as the dimensional rift was forced open wider, and the tiny particles of light scattered to the sides, giving them a wide berth. With a sickening lurch, the metal platform hurled itself into the void.

And so it was that the five kids, borne on their technological magic carpet, returned to the Barian World...

Returned home...

* * *

Author-made cards:

Number 94: Matrix Golem  
Machine-Type/Xyz/Gemini/LIGHT/Rank 4/ATK 2000/DEF 2000  
3 Level 4 monsters  
This card is treated as a non-Effect Monster while face-up on the field or in the Graveyard. While this card is face-up on the field, you can Normal Summon it to have it treated as an Effect Monster with this effect: ●This card cannot be destroyed by battle, except by a "Number" monster. Once per turn: You can detach 1 Overlay Unit from this card; you can Normal Summon 1 monster in addition to your Normal Summon or Set this turn (you can only gain this effect once per turn). When a monster is Normal Summoned: Inflict 400 damage to your opponent.

Overlay Force  
Spell Card  
Detach 1 Overlay Unit from a face-up Xyz Monster you control, then target that Xyz Monster; that target gains 1000 ATK until the End Phase.

* * *

**Fun Fact #19: Under general KDE tournament policy, Leah should technically have been declared the winner, since at the moment that 'time was called', her Life Points were higher. However, speaking as a judge, I can confirm that tournament policy tends to not take into account things like other worlds, dimensional rifts, multiple suns, and sentient supermonsters. This is totally a gaping flaw in tournament policy, and should be fixed immediately!**

**Fun Fact #20: We originally intended to put Number 33: Spheracron the Cyclone Absorber in this chapter, until we remembered that Number 94: Matrix Golem is infinitely more awesome, and has a much better backstory.**


	8. Chapter 8: Epilogue

"We'll settle this at the World Duel Carnival!" Kaito called, a wide grin on his face. Then, without another word, he turned away and leapt off the edge of the building. Opening his glider as he fell, he swooped out of free-fall and soared away.

Yuma and Astral watched him go with a mixture of excitement and apprehension. "That's exactly what I'm hoping for..." Yuma muttered. Astral said nothing.

As Kaito winged his way back to Heartland Tower, his thoughts turned back to the phenomenon he'd just experienced. The particles of light that seemed to fall like snow, but up instead of down. The temporal freeze that - for once - he hadn't been the cause of. And most importantly, the three suns in the sky...

He couldn't get them out of his head. The yellow sun was from this world, obviously. And he'd seen pictures of the Barian World - of the desolate landscape, of the deserts, of the ruined buildings, of the rocky savannahs – always bright red. The red sun had to be from the Barian World. But the blue sun… he had no clue. He resolved to ask Mr Heartland about it when he next saw him.

It was then that he heard his transceiver beeping. Wearily, he fished it out of his pocket and held it to his ear. "Yes?"

_"Ah, Kaito, good to hear from you,"_ Mr Heartland's over-cheery voice rang out over the transceiver. _"Is now a good time?"_

"As good a time as any," Kaito replied irritably. "What do you want?"

_"I'd like you to make a quick detour for us,"_ Mr Heartland replied. "_To a skyscraper near the centre of the city. There's a box waiting for us on the roof of that building. I'd like you to pop over there and pick it up, if you don't mind."_

"What's in it?" Kaito asked.

There was a moment's silence. Then, Mr Heartland replied. _"Baria Light."_

"What?" Katie shouted. "You mean the Barians made a delivery! When did this happen?"

_"During the temporal freeze."_

"Then you knew?" he asked accusingly. "You knew that time was going to stop like this? More than that: you made plans for when it would happen? And you didn't tell me?"

_"I assure you, Kaito, that we had every intention of telling you,"_ Mr Heartland said calmly. _"Events just... got away from us a little. And besides, even though we never got around to telling you, you seemed to have gotten on very well by yourself."_ He chuckled. _"You even used the event to your advantage. Moving from place to place, searching for the locations where Numbers have battled. Very resourceful. So I ask you: even if we had told you, would it have made any difference?"_

Kaito didn't answer.

_"Excellent," _Mr Heartland said. _"Now, if you wouldn't mind picking up that box for us on the way back, that would be splendid. I'll send the co-ordinates to Orbital. We'll speak properly when you return." _The call ended abruptly.

Kaito sighed. Mr Heartland could be a real smooth-talker when he wanted to. "Orbital, revise our route based on the new co-ordinates, and be quick about it."

"Understood!" the robot chirped. He performed a big, sweeping circle in the air, which set them on their new course.

*SOME TIME LATER*

The moment they were low enough, Kaito freed himself from the glider and landed in a crouch on the roof of the building. As Orbital landed beside him, now back in robot form, he stood up and surveyed their surroundings. The floor was made out of concrete, but it was in a real state. There were black burn marks all over it, and cracks etched into its surface. Kaito quickly identified the box – a small metal thing a few metres from where he was standing – but right next to it, a huge chunk of the roof had been blown to pieces, as though something large, round, and heavy had smashed into it.

"What happened here?" he muttered.

"It seems to be the remnants of a conflict, Kaito sir," Orbital replied, scanning the area. "I'm picking up traces of recent Number activity, but none of it corresponds to the memories extracted from the being known as Astral."

"So this duel involved Numbers, but wasn't related to that Yuma boy..." Kaito concluded. Then he shrugged. "Oh well. These Number holders escaped, but they'll most likely show up at the World Duel Carnival anyway. Just grab that box and let's get going."

"Understood!" Orbital said, motoring over to the box. In a matter of seconds, he had the box firmly attached to his back, and was making his way briskly to the edge of the building. "Kaito sir, we are ready for departure."

Kaito was about to follow him, but a tiny glint caught his eye, just a few feet from where he was standing. He turned back and moved closer to examine it – whatever it was.

It was a strip of polished metal, the exact size and shape of a wristband. What was interesting about it was the inner surface; it seemed to have miniscule pieces of circuitry running through it.

Kaito scooped it off the ground and held it up to the light, examining it more closely. "Interesting..." he muttered curiously, "what are you? What could you possibly be...?"

* * *

**Fun Fact #21: Ooh, did we just directly expand on an event from the canon, altering it for our own purposes? I think we did!**

**Fun Fact #22: We genuinely have no idea how Kaito and Yuma could've heard each other during that exchange in Episode 25. Yuma was on the ground, while Kaito was standing on top of a really - and I mean REALLY - tall building. And he barely even raised his voice. We can accept things like alternate dimensions and sentient supermonsters and time stopping, but this is where we draw the line! That is pushing the boundaries of physics too far!**


End file.
